Volume 1.24 | Aug 28

Bacteria Make Us Feel Pain… and Suppress Our Immune Response
The pain of invasive skin infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and possibly other serious, painful infections, appear to be induced by the invading bacteria themselves, and not by the body’s immune response as previously thought, report scientists. What’s more, their research demonstrated that once the pain neurons “sense” the bacteria, they suppress the immune system, potentially helping the bacteria become more virulent. [Press release from Boston Children’s Hospital discussing online prepublication in Nature]Press Release|Full Article

Antiviral Memory Phenotype T Cells in Unexposed Adults
The authors discuss the issue of T-cell receptor genes cross-reactivity in the development of memory phenotype CD4+ T cells and the implications for pathogen-specific responses. they review both the human and mouse data and discuss the therapeutic implications of these findings in the contexts of infection and vaccination. [Immunol Rev]Abstract

Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the infectious disease research field.

Pioneering HIV Work Produces a ‘Big Surprise’
HIV viruses inside the body regulate a key genetic process to change how much virus is produced at any given time – possibly to avoid attacks from the immune system, new research from the University of Virginia (UVA) School of Medicine suggests. The findings show such promise that the National Institutes of Health’s Institute of General Medicine Sciences has awarded the UVA researchers a four-year, $1.2 million grant to explore the implications. [University of Virginia Health System] Press Release